literary fiction Archives - Unencumbered Press

Featured image for “Meltdown”: a person standing outdoors in a snowy landscape, wearing a color-blocked winter jacket, with snow exploding in front of their face. Large orange text reads “MELTDOWN: An Odd and Wintry Short Story About Overthinking by Eric Lawson,” framed by an orange border.

January 13, 2026

“Meltdown” | An Odd, Wintry Short Story About Overthinking

Eric Lawson Fiction absurdist fiction, dark comedy, eric lawson, indie literature, literary fiction, overthinking, short story, winter fiction

ERIC LAWSON is a Pushcart Prize-nominated author and filmmaker. He is the author of the poetry collections Backseat Emperor, Processing America & Orphan Poems, Time for Plan B, and Leaving Long Beach and the monologue collection Medusa Coils. He hosts the Make Your Own Fun podcast on YouTube and currently resides in North Aiken, South Carolina. Learn more at ericlawsonauthor.com. Meltdown “There’s mud in your eye!” Nathan shouted as he pelted Harold square between the eyes […]

September 1, 2024

Publisher’s Picks for September 2024

Stephanie Johnson Lawson Altered Tarot, Book Publishing, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Publisher's Picks, Transparency Allison Russell, Arizona, Creative Inspiration, creative nonfiction, Flagstaff, Healing, Independent Publishing, Kickstarter Campaigns, Libby app, links, literary fiction, Melville House, MobyLives, muse, Music, Philip DeFranco, please comment, poetry, Resilience, September 2024, tarot, TBR, Technofeudalism, Transformation, Unencumbered Press, Wildflower Crafts, Yanis Varoufakis

Welcome to the inaugural post in my “Publisher’s Picks” series🙌🏻. Each month, I’ll share some of the shit—the creators, products, media, etc.—that is currently helping me navigate the beautiful/intense/wild… chaos of daily life. I don’t subscribe to the idea that everything happens for a reason or that life has a predetermined purpose. Instead, I believe in being present and finding joy in the here and now. In an uncertain world, it is our actions, thoughts, […]

August 24, 2024

Submitting to Unencumbered Press? Here’s What We’re Looking For

Stephanie Johnson Lawson Book Publishing, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Submissions anthologies, book submissions, bookshop.org, card decks, chapbooks, coffee table books, collaborative art books, contemporary poetry, creative nonfiction, innovative storytelling, literary fiction, literary maps, niche publications, publishing opportunities, zines

At Unencumbered Press, we are passionate about publishing work that challenges perspectives, inspires growth, and fosters meaningful conversations. We’re on the lookout for compelling, boundary-pushing stories and voices that resonate deeply with readers. This post outlines the specific types of submissions we seek, from literary fiction to creative nonfiction and contemporary poetry. Megan J. and I have curated lists of some of our favorite works in these genres on our bookshop.org affiliate profile. If your […]

literary fiction

“Meltdown” | An Odd, Wintry Short Story About Overthinking

Publisher’s Picks for September 2024

Submitting to Unencumbered Press? Here’s What We’re Looking For

Thank you for subscribing!